1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a slide rail structure for a seat for a vehicle which slides the seat in a longitudinal direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and the like are provided with a third row of seats which can be stored or can be installed and removed. However, sufficient leg room for a passenger in the third row of seats is not provided in most cases. Accordingly, there is provided a automobile in which a second row of seats is supported on sliding rails so as to freely move in a longitudinal direction and the second row of seat is moved forward when the passenger is to sit in the third row of seats. In the automobile mentioned above, there is employed a walk-in specification in which it is possible to secure the leg space in sitting in the third row of seats, and the passenger can get in and out of the third row of seats from a rear side of the second row of seats.
When making the second row of seats to allow sitting after the passenger sits in the third row of seats in the walk-in state, there is a case in which the second row of seats is moved to the rearmost end. In such a case, there is a risk that the second row of seats will hit against the foot of a passenger. In a car having two doors, there is a car in which in the case of returning a first row of seats to a state to allowing sitting after changing the first row of seats from the sitting state to a walk-in state, the position in the sitting state is set and the first row of seats is locked to the slide rails at that position. If such a memory function is applied to the second row of seats mentioned above, it is possible to prevent the seat from being moved to the rearmost end when the seat is moved rearward. However, in the conventional walk-in seat with the memory function, the seat can be locked to the slide rails only at one set sitting position.
In the second row of seats for the automobile provided with the third row of seats, there is a structure having a high utility in which a back surface of a backrest can be used as a table by tilting the backrest to a front side so as to make it substantially horizontal. The table mentioned above can be used by the passenger sitting in the second row of seats which is not utilized as a table, and by the passenger sitting in the third row of seats. In this case, in order to ensure an interior comfortable for the passenger in the third row of seats, it is necessary to move the second row of seats forward. Furthermore, when the second row of seats is used as a table, it is difficult to use the seat as a table unless the seat is locked to the slide rails. It can be considered that the position at which the second row of seats is used as a table is set by applying the memory function mentioned above. However, it is troublesome for the user to force the setting of the matter mentioned above, and in any case, the seat can be locked in only one portion.
As mentioned above, in the conventional walk-in seat in which the second row of seats can be moved, there is a problem of a danger of hitting the seat against the foot of a passenger in the third row of seats when the seat is changed from the walk-in state to the sitting state, and in the conventional walk-in seat with the memory function, there is a problem that the seat cannot be locked to the slide rails at an optional position.
In the case of using the second row of seat as a table, two kinds of hinge structures which rotatably connect the sitting portion of the seat to the backrest are provided for getting on and off and for the table. In the case of tilting the backrest forward by using the hinge structure for the table, it can be considered that the structure is made such that the engagement state between the sitting portion and the slide rails is maintained. However, in accordance with the structure mentioned above, there is a problem in that the number of parts is increased, the weight and the manufacturing cost are increased, and the operation becomes troublesome.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a slide rail structure for a seat for a vehicle which can prevent the seat from moving to the rearmost end when the seat is changed from a walk-in state to a sitting state by a simple structure. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a slide rail structure for a seat for a vehicle which can lock a seat at an optional position.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a slide rail structure of a seat for a vehicle comprising: a supporting device extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; and a moving device supported by the supporting device so as to freely move in the longitudinal direction and to which the seat for the vehicle is mounted, wherein a stopper is provided in front of the rearmost end position of the moving device, an engaging device which does not engage with the stopper when the moving device is moved to a front side and engages with the stopper when the moving device is moved to a rear side is provided in the moving device, and a lock canceling device for canceling an engagement state between the engaging device and the stopper interlocking with a tilting operation of a backrest portion of the seat for the vehicle is provided.
In the slide rail structure having the structure described above, the engaging device provided in the moving device engages with the stopper and does not move up to the rearmost end when the seat for the vehicle is moved to the rear side. Accordingly, the seat for the vehicle does not hit the rear passenger. Furthermore, since the lock canceling device is operated, for example, by pulling up the backrest portion, it is possible to move the seat for the vehicle to a rear end side rather than being at that position. Even in the case of moving the seat for the vehicle up to the rearmost end at that time, a speed does not increase because a moving distance of the seat for the vehicle is short. Accordingly, even if the seat for the vehicle hits against the foot of the passenger, there is a reduced risk. Furthermore, since the seat is stopped before arriving at the rearmost end, it is possible to draw the operator""s attention.
In this case, it is preferable that a locking device capable of engaging with the supporting device be provided in the moving device, an elastic member energizing the locking device so as to engage with the supporting device is provided, and an operation portion for manually canceling an engagement state with the supporting device is provided in the locking device. By operating the operation portion, it is possible to move the moving device so as to lock with respect to the supporting device at an optional position. In this case, the structure can be made simple by forming a serration or a groove continuously provided in a longitudinal direction in the supporting device, whereby a hook portion of the locking device is engaged with the serration. Furthermore, the operating device may be structured so as to be operated by foot.
It is preferable that the lock canceling device be structured such as to move the locking device interlocking with a forward tilting motion of the backrest portion so as to cancel the engagement state between the locking device and the supporting device. Accordingly, it is possible to move the seat for the vehicle merely by tilting forward the backrest portion without operating the operation portion, and the seat for the vehicle is automatically locked by raising the backrest portion so as to be set in the sitting state. Accordingly, operability can be improved and the seat for the vehicle can be easily used.